Ep. 42: A Straight Line To Mom
A Straight Line To Mommy is the forty-second episode of Gosei Sentai Dairanger. This is the beginning of a three-part story culminating the fate of Kou of the Howling New Star and Akomaru; it also introduces the hell being Ikazuchi. Synopsis Lin finally discovers Kou's mother being held by Akomaru, even as the Gorma child prepares for KibaRanger's Gorma ascension and both Shadam and Daijinryuu get in their way. Plot Rin opens a window in her apartment at night and steps out to look at the lights, wondering where Kou is. At the same time, Akomaru's rickshaw moves into a temple; as he arrives, he blows on his noisemaker and a blue horned creature known as Ikazuchi approaches him. Akomaru asks if anyone else is there and it confirmed not. Elsewhere, several boys are playing soccer as the ball rolls into a puddle; the boy tells his friends to see something seeing a strange huge footprint, making them think a dinosaur made it as they wander into the woods in pursuit. Continuing to follow the footprints, they find the temple Akomaru was previously at and look inside, discovering the boy with Kou's mother as she cries while being chained inside. The mother begs to see Kou but Akomaru says it's not too long until his birthday when he becomes a Gorma; the mother continues to plead but the kids are chased down by Ikazuchi, running away as Akomaru tells the creature to chase them until they run into Rin who inform her of the monster, the shrine and the woman inside as well as "Kou becoming a Gorma". Ikazuchi bolts past them with Rin forcing them to run away as she becomes Hououranger and slashes at it but her sword caught and her tossed away forcing her to summon the other Dairanger as the Cotporos start to swarm her. The other Dairanger soon arrive attacking Ikazuchi and the Cotporos; Shoji asks where Rin is going but she states it's about Kou's mother, running away from the Cotporos towards the woman; but Akomaru summon more Cotporos to hold her back! Hououranger dodges and fights the minions as the mother yells for help; Akomaru calls for Ikazuchi who immediately grows giant at his command, leading to Ryo summoning Ryuuseioh and using it's meteor kick to hit it down as he tells Rin to save her. Ryuuseioh and Ikazuchi fight with the blue beast emitting lightning shocking him and the other Dairanger at the same time while holding their ears; even Kou's mother and Rin feel the pain as it continues to fly about. Elsewhere in a nearby cave, Kou is hit by the lightning and awakens, instantly turning into Kibaranger. The lightning is also sensed on the moon where Daijinryuu continues to fly, forcing it to make another approach to Earth. Ryuuseioh and Ikazuchi continue to fight before he's suddenly struck by Won Tiger, Kibaranger telling the Dairanger to face him in combat! He uses his Tiger Cub Secret Art Flaming Orb, throwing fireballs at Ryuuseioh as Ryo tells Kou to cut it out and go to his mother even as Akomaru throws her into a rickshaw and runs off with her; the woman throws out a ring caught by Rin making her wonder what it is but with her yelling to take it. Yet as it happens, the sky darkens as Daijinryuu emerges, the team shocked by his return as Ikazuchi disappears and the god begins to attack the surroundings again, including the two combating mecha! As Daijinryuu settles in the city, Kou escapes back to his cave in a weakened state, wondering what happened to him and that he's scared while calling for his mother. In the city, Kaku sees Daijinryuu once again as the Dairanger approach him, making him realize Gorma XV broke the truce which is why the god returned; Kazu wonders what will happen as Rin states she was close to saving Kou's mother while Shoji admits Kou's a fool attacking them again. Byakko, hiding in Ryo, states that the Demonic Power Waves within Ikazuchi called out to Kou's Gorma blood and it made him follow it. Kaku realizes Kou's birthday is getting close as Daigo admits they have to find him before them. Rin reveals the ring explaining that it was given to her; with Ryo wondering what she wants them to do with it. Meanwhile, Akomaru meets with the Gorma Triumvirate where he's told by Shadam to kill Kou's mother; the boy wonders and he states what's the point of keeping her alive with her death meaning Kou could become a Gorma easier. Akomaru states it isn't necessary since he wants to see Kou watch his mother crying as he becomes a Gorma; then he will be used to remove Shadam from his position as he laughs and vanishes. Gara wonders if Shadam is alright with this; while Zydos brings up Daijinryuu's return and the need to defeat the Dairanger before they lose their powers! Shadam states he will kill Kou's mother with his own hands and kill Akomaru as well if he gets in the way; Gara states he can't do that due to how Gorma XV revived the boy and adores him but Shadam states he can since he still has a last resort. At the Gorma Palace, the emperor is knitting a sweater to make Akomaru warm as Shadam appears before him surprising him; the emperor wonders why he's in the chamber without his permission and orders him to leave but Shadam merely stares and smiles. At the apartment, Rin stares at the mother's ring wondering what she's trying to tell her with it. She stated "heavenly", which makes Rin realize something summoning the other Dairanger. When they arrive, Rin reveals she thinks she means "Heavenly Treasure Lai-Lai Balls", which she asks the team to show; as they are placed together, Rin places the ring in the center, making them react and the ring rise up in the air where it flies and the Dairanger give chase; Ryo reasoning it's leading them to Kou's mother! At the same time Akomaru wonders how Gorma XV would order them to kill Kou's mother; Shadam also states they'd kill him if he gets in the way! Disbelieving, Akomaru summons Ikazuchi which appears before them making Zydos wonder what it is; Akomaru states it's his guardian which he brought with him when he returned from Hell! The boy tries to taunt his father to take Kou's mother if he dares while ordering Ikazuchi to attack; Shadam having Gara and Zydos handle it. Moving forwards, the general enters into a storehouse where Akomaru hid Kou's mother, where he surprisingly knows who she is and makes the mother shocked seeing her. Shadam asks if she's Kou's mother as Akomaru rushes in calling him father, shocking Kou's mother realizing who he is as he introduces him as his son. Kou's mother seems shocked while Akomaru wonders how Shadam knows Kou's mother; but the ring suddenly appears returning to the mother's finger, the Dairanger arriving to save her. Ryo pronounces they'll save her forcing Shadam to breathe out Yo and the Dairanger to transform and take on a Cotporos squad. Gara soon appears and attacks Tenmaranger and Zydos likewise throwing down Qilinranger; while Hououranger tries to rescue Kou's mother only to be blasted by Akomaru. The boy makes Ikazuchi a giant again leading to Ryo to summon Ryuuseioh again and attack it with his staff. Opening it's eye, Ikazuchi unleashes it's lightning on the giant; but the attack angers Daijinryuu as Kaku wonders what the god is trying to do! Once again in the cave, Kou transforms while Daijinryuu marches towards the battlefield and Akomaru orders Ikazuchi to kill them even as Kou's mother yells at him to stop! Cast * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * Kou's Mother: * : * : * : * : * : Guest Cast *Child: , Notes *'Viewership': 5.9% *'Eyecatch' **'Featured Dairanger (Pre-Break):' HououRanger **'Featured Dairanger (Post-Break):' HououRanger *While in-story this three-parter that starts in this episode is associated with Kou's birthday, this is also the beginning of the first ever acknowledgement of the holiday of Christmas within a Sentai work. Thus this, alongside the next two, would be the first ever specially acknowledged Christmas episodes in the franchise, which generally would likewise combine with a massive fight that occurs in story prior to the new-year and the start of the series' end-game. DVD Releases *''Gosei Sentai Dairanger'' Volume 5 features episodes 41-50.http://www.toei-video.co.jp/DVD/dairenger.html *The complete Dairanger series was released in North America by Shout! Factory in 2015. See Also References Category:Gosei Sentai Dairanger Category:Sentai episodes Category:Sentai Christmas Episode Category:Written by Noboru Sugimura